The Dutch higher education and science magazine ‘Scienceguide‘ has kept a close watch on the developments in Belarus and on the student/youth movement ‘Zubr‘ (Bison) in particular. In the wake of the elections, several students were arrested for opposing the government. After almost a week on the Kastrychnitskaya Square, protesters have been brutally removed from the square on Thursday.
Members of the European Parliament have posed questions for Brussels about the violent actions of the Lukashenko regime. Until now, the EU has not acted very convincingly on the issue and Zubr reports on several violations by the regime in the last days.
More bottom-up actions are emerging in Europe. Yesterday, Danish protesters have set up a tent camp at the Russian Embassy. The tents were set up in solidarity with the defenders of the tent camp on the Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk. The demonstrators protest against the actions of the Russian government, which continues to support the Lukashenko regime.
Scienceguide also has a call for Dutch support for the Belarus protesters:
Today (25 March) 12 o’clock there will be a demonstration for solidarity with the ‘Denim-revolution’ in Belarus on the Museum Square in Amsterdam. This day also happens to be the former ‘Day of Freedom’ holiday in Belarus before the Lukashenko regime abolished this holliday. The activities are organised by student and youth organisations. More information can be found at denim-revolution.hyves.nl.
Update: an eyewitness account on the developments prior to the crackdown on October square can be found here.